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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

THANKSGIVINGS PAST

THANKSGIVINGS PAST

This year, for the first time all the
major retailers will keep their stores open all day on Thanksgiving.For many it is outrageous to try to draw
shoppers away from this quintessential family holiday; a day steeped in our
heritage as pilgrims and pioneers; a day when families draw together to
celebrate the ties that bind, and the overarching providence of God.Certainly the good old days were different,
weren't they?Maybe not.

Today many of us celebrate Thanksgiving (after
a great meal) by sitting around the television watching football games.Those of us who hunt may leave the table and
go to the woods and fields.A hundred
years ago the themes were similar, with the exception that on those
Thanksgiving mornings many went to church (which seems appropriate for a
holiday with that name).

It may come as a surprise to some to find
that high school football games were played on Thanksgiving.In 1908 Lancaster looked forward to a rematch
with the Dubuque High School team.They
had fought to a 0-0 tie weeks before and Dubuque wanted a rematch the Saturday
before Thanksgiving to warm up for their big Thanksgiving day game with Des
Moines.The game never happened because
the Lancaster men missed the train.In
1926 Lancaster's fans looked forward to the big Thanksgiving day game with
Monroe, which would determine the Southwestern Wisconsin Conference
championship.On the afternoon of
Thanksgiving Day in 1927 The Lancaster fans flocked to Fennimore to watch the
gridders defeat Fennimore 13 – 0.

Commercial interests were concerned with
Thanksgiving in 1939 just as they are now. Before 1941, the date for
Thanksgiving was set by presidential proclamation.That proclamation invariably declared the
last Thursday of November as the holiday.In 1939, the last Thursday fell on November 30th.Large retailers approached President
Roosevelt requesting that he proclaim November 23, 1939 the holiday, so that
the shoppers would have an extra week after Thanksgiving to shop.They persuaded Roosevelt that this would help
to stimulate the economy.Since
Thanksgiving of 1938 had fallen on the 24th of November, he saw no harm in
making it the 23rd for 1939.When he
proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day would be on the 23rd of November,
he sparked a firestorm of criticism.

Some Governors, including Wisconsin's Republican
Governor Julius P. Heil, declared Thanksgiving would be the 30th. Helmar Lewis,
mayor of Boscobel felt a declaration was needed from him as well.Boscobel, he said would celebrate on the
30th.Confusion reigned.Homemakers sent Western Union telegrams to
the president asking when the turkey should be served.New York University wrote the President
pointing out that they had a game on the 30th with Fordham in Yankee
Stadium.Now that would be just another
workday, and low attendance would make it a financial disaster for them and
many other College football teams.

A man in West Virginia wrote the President
asking him for further proclamations to, among other things “have Sunday
changed to Wednesday, have it strictly against the will of God to work on
Tuesday," and "have Thursday to be pay day with time and one-half for
overtime."

The Attorney General of Wisconsin was
asked for an opinion.Would State
employees get the day off on the 23rd or the 30th if the President declared for
the 23rd?He decided they would get both
days off!"When the President of
the United States proclaims the 23rd of November as a day of public thanksgiving"
he said "there will be two thanksgiving holidays in the State of Wisconsin
for this year."Since then, 1939
has been known as the year with two Thanksgivings.It must have been tough for those who
prepared the turkeys and pies.

Governor Julius P.
Heil.The New York Times
reported that Heil was known for clowning and silly antics.